


He's Not That Bad.

by The_Green_Valkyrie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Fluff, Love Confessions, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Protective Loki (Marvel), Protective Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Green_Valkyrie/pseuds/The_Green_Valkyrie
Summary: After being unable to prevent Steve from getting hurt, Sarah is riddled with an overwhelming lack of confidence. Until she met the Avengers, she was strongly discouraged from using her powers. She is determined to practice hard and gain better control, but she needs help. She doesn’t expect the help to come from the man she despises, Loki.
Relationships: Loki & Avengers Team, Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	1. Not Good Enough

“Steve!” Sarah cried out as he was hit with a large chunk of concrete. Debris was falling from the building they were in. It seemed as if there was no escape. How did they even get separated from the rest of the group? Steve Rogers laid motionless on the floor, tiny rivers of blood flowing from under his helmet. 

While the Hydra agents had been defeated, the threat of the building collapsing on the two of them was very real. They had to get out of here. There was little chance of Steve waking up. The large boulder was enough to kill a normal man, but not him. Sarah felt the floor quiver beneath her as she moved towards him and held him tightly in her arms. In a flash of violet they were removed from the space. 

Sarah’s powers were not very strong. She had known she had them her whole life, but never used them for more than party tricks until she met the Avengers. It used all of her concentration to move both Steve and her from their danger. Landing in the front courtyard of Avengers Tower with a thud, personnel rushed to their aide. 

“Get Cap to the infirmary. He has been knocked unconscious. I’m going back with the others.” Sarah rose to her feet, inhaled and with the same flash of purple light, she was gone. 

Sarah scanned the outside of the burning building, searching for her friends. Her worry grew as she could find none of them. “Guys! If you’re around, now would be the time to say something!” 

Just then, the loud whirring of the Quinjet descended upon her. “Get in, kid.” Tony hollered over the loud sounds of the aircraft. “Where’s the Cap?” Leaping onto the platform, Sarah answered. “I moved him to the tower, then I came back for you.” She took a seat next to Natasha and Clint. She scanned the enclosure to see her friends. Natasha and Clint eyed Sarah over. Bruce was seated across from her, then Wanda, Thor and Tony followed down the line of benches. Loki stood next to the door of the cockpit, arms folded, leaning against the wall. “You don’t look so good, Sar.” Natasha looks her over. “I’ll be fine. Steve is just… heavy.” Sarah’s eyes closed as her head rested against the cold black metal wall. “Well, Is he OK?” Asks Clint. “I think so. He got rocked with some falling concrete, but you know he can handle more than you and I can.” Sarah didn’t open her eyes to answer. 

“I got the documents we were after,” Wanda speaks up after a moment of silence. She hands a manilla folder to Tony. His face tightens as he reads over the information within. “Shit.” Tony closes the folder and sets it next to him. “They’ve been making high tech weapons. It’s worse than we anticipated.” Thor grabs the folder and mulls through the contents. “These symbols here…” He points and leans into Tony, “This is runic.”

“How and why would someone use runic to mass produce weapons?” Bruce pondered. 

“The magic in those symbols is more powerful than anything that could ever be made by a mortal.” Thor said and eyed his brother. “What do you make of this?” 

Loki rolled his eyes and stepped forward to grab the folder. “I haven’t the slightest idea why you are all so worried.” His green eyes scanned the documents. “Humans are too stupid to actually use these ruins correctly. It’s all gibberish.” 

“Hey, man. Do I need to remind you that you’re on a jet full of humans.” Tony remarked. 

“He doesn’t care, you know he doesn’t, Tony.” Sarah sat up and stared at Loki. 

“You got me there, kid.” 

“Besides, runes are used more based on their meaning than what their phoneme is. There’s a small group of people in the world who use these are their main source of magic--the Obsidian Council. It makes sense that Hydra would use them. I read a theory that implied this group worked with Hydra in the shadows during WWII.” 

Everyone but Loki looked at Sarah. They didn’t know her completely and she was always surprising them with facts. Sarah was the type of person who had a mind full of random information, but couldn’t remember where she set her coffee cup, or her keys. 

“Hmph, I suppose you are good for something.” Loki smirks, still analyzing the runes. 

~~

“How are you feeling?” Sarah sat in a steel chair next to Steve in the infirmary. White sheets covered his body and bandages covered his injuries. Her feelings of failure nagged at her. 

“Ah, I’ll be fine. Thanks for saving me. You are an asset to this team.” Steve was hurt, there was no doubt about that, but he didn’t want to let Sarah know how bad it was. “I’m the Cap, I’ll be back on my feet before you know it.” 

“I should have tried harder for you not to even get hit in the first place, Steve.” Sarah’s violet eyes welled up with tears. “What if you had died?” She reached out for Steve’s hand. 

“Oh, very touching Sar, but I gotta let you in on a little something. It’s going to take more than a bit of debris to knock Rogers on his ass.” Tony said entering the room, along with Pepper. A team of medical professionals flooded the room. “Look at all these doctors, kid. We’ve got this.” 

Pepper placed a hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. Don’t carry the guilt.” Sarah nodded at Pepper and stood. “I’ll let you get to it then. I’ll be by later, Steve.” The medical team started right away, changing bandages, cleaning wounds and injecting Steve with a myriad of drugs. Sarah knew that he would be alright, but if she could control her powers better, this never would have happened in the first place. 

Sarah walked into her living quarters. She sat on the plush sofa and placed her elbows on her knees. Her hands met her face and she buried them in, hiding her shame from herself. I’ve gotta get a grip. She thought. I’ll train until my body gives out. 

The gym was a large area, it encapsulated an entire floor of the tower she called home. Treadmills lined one wall, weight sets another. There was nothing in this space she couldn’t do. She walked through the glass doors to the massive balcony. Large tires, ropes and a few other heavy objects rested in their spots, waiting for interaction. Sarah raised her hands toward the largest tire and focused. Barely wavering from it’s position, it mocked her. Again. No movement. 

Time after time, the tire didn’t budge. She could feel herself getting worn. Her body hadn’t given up yet, so she pressed on. Through the window on the floor above, Thor and Loki watched her struggle. 

“She is a gifted sorceress.” Loki said studying the moves Sarah made. “What she lacks is the confidence to execute.” 

Thor watched Sarah, too. Stopping to look in Loki’s direction. “You could help her.”

“No. I can’t”

Thor pursed his lips. “You won’t.” 

“No brother, I can’t. She is not very fond of me.” Loki looked at his brother. “Any advice I would offer up would fall on deaf ears.” 

“Suit yourself.” Thor left his brother to watch Sarah. Loki pondered for a moment and made his way outside to her. 

Sarah was so focused, she didn’t hear the door open, nor see Loki take his place beside her. She jumped as he spoke. “You need to use your anger.” 

“Jesus. Can’t you see I’m busy? I’m sure you can find someone else to harass for a while.” It was so easy to fluster Sarah, Loki often took advantage of that. She hated it. She hated a lot of things about him, however, the thing she hated the most was how much she actually looked up to him and his ability to use magic. 

“I simply came to offer some advice. If you do not wish to receive it then I will take my leave.” Loki said and headed back to the door. 

“Wait,” Sarah looked at her feet and twiddled her thumbs. “What’s your advice.”

Loki positioned himself close enough behind her to place his hands on her shoulders. She shuddered, involuntarily. “Relax your posture, clear your mind, focus on your anger. If you doubt yourself, you will accomplish nothing.” Sarah closed her eyes and focused on Loki’s words. When she felt ready, her arms lifted towards the tire. She Inhaled deeply and long. Still nothing. 

“There is still doubt in your mind, Sarah.” Loki squeezed lightly in her shoulders. “I said to let it go. Do as I say.” Loki knew how to push her buttons. That was exactly what he intended to do. He knew she hated him. He knew that if he was soft with her she would do nothing. He needed to invoke the anger inside of her. 

Sarah tried again. Still nothing. Loki leaned into her. “Are you deaf, or just moronic?” He whispered in her ear. Anger growing in her core, she tried again. The tire moved, but very little. Loki whispered another insult in her ear, hands still locked on her shoulders. She tried again. 

Several times, this exchange repeated itself. “That’s enough!” Sarah shouted, launching a shockwave of plum colored magic from her body. Loki was flung backwards, skidding across the concrete stopping after colliding at the door. Sarah spun around and stormed towards him. “You’re such an asshole! Why do you have to be so mean to me? Why are you even here?” She reached her hand in front of her and grabbed him with her magic, lifting him from the ground.

“Look around you. What did I help you accomplish?” Loki’s feet barely dangled above the ground. Sarah hadn’t noticed, until then. She released her grip on him, causing him to plop back to his feet. The tires, tables, chairs and even the plants potted in concrete had been blown over. The glass door that stopped Loki’s body was fractured. 

“Oh my god.” Sarah grabbed her hands and held them to her chest. “I did it. I did it!” She jumped in the air. “Thank you!” She ran to and hugged Loki in a fit of excitement. He couldn’t believe she was touching him. He stood stiff, processing this moment. The rigid lines of his body made Sarah realize what was happening. “Sorry.” she said letting go of her grip on his waist. “How did you know that would work?” 

“My mother taught me how to use magic. She did the same thing to me. Until you can better control your magic, anger is the most powerful emotion to use.” Loki’s posture relaxed. Natasha burst through the door. 

“Sar,” Her movement stopped as she viewed the disarray around her. 

Natasha’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do to her?”   
“Tash, it was me.” Sarah looked at her dearest friend with bright, happy eyes. She was the only one in the tower to call Natasha any other nickname but ‘Nat’. “Loki helped me. I even knocked him back from me and everything. It was amazing.” 

Natasha stood watching Sarah express her glee.“That is amazing! I think though, you should be done for today. Steve was asking for you.” Sarah smiled, and headed for the door. “Thanks, Loki.” She said before leaving him on the balcony alone. 

Loki closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He could still feel Sarah’s touch on him. He didn’t know why, but he wanted her to hug him again.   
\--

“Steve, you look great!” Sarah said, coming through the infirmary doors. “You can’t even tell that you got hurt!” Her eyes welled up with tears, elated at the sight of her friend. 

“What did I tell you.” Steve chuckled and beamed a bright smile in Sarah’s direction. “I just have to make sure that the meds wear off appropriately and I will be good to go.” Sarah grabbed a chair from against the wall and moved it next to Steve’s bed. “I did something incredible just a few minutes ago.” Sarah started as she told Steve about what had happened on the gym balcony. 

His expression grew solemn. “He didn’t hurt you did he?” 

“Well, no. but he upset me, it was for a reason though!” Typically Sarah didn’t defend Loki. She couldn’t stand him. She felt a tiny chip of that hatred leave her heart after their moment on the balcony. 

“He better not. We have done enough forgiving of him. If he were to hurt you, I couldn’t be so nice again.” Steve touched Sarah’s shoulder. 

“You're so dramatic, man.” Sarah chided. “If he didn’t want to help us, he wouldn’t and you know that. He only offered to help me with my magic. He saw that I was so heartbroken because I couldn’t stop that big concrete rock from hitting you. Not everything he does is wrong.” 

Steve felt the tension in Sarah’s words as she spoke. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.” Sarah locked eyes with Steve a moment before asking “Are you hungry? I could go make us something to eat.” Steve nodded “I’m starved. I want breakfast food.” 

“Yes!” Sarah exclaimed as she ran out the door. She was a good cook. Everyone she cooked for loved her food. It was the thing she prided herself in. She marched through the kitchen area and grabbed her apron from it’s hook and tied it around her waist. Sarah took a deep breath as she unloaded the ingredients from the refrigerator. Wanda and Tony came into the kitchen. “Sarah, must be cooking something.” Wanda started. “Is there any chance you made extras?” 

“You know I always do. FRIDAY, will you please just tell everyone I’m cooking?” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” FRIDAY chimed back overhead. 

“Thanks.” 

“Why are you making breakfast?” Tony asked. “It’s 6:30 at night.”

“Steve wanted it. He is hungry after all the meds.” Wanda and Tony watched Sarah cook as the other Avengers made their way to the kitchen, sitting around the large dining table. Sarah set plates and silverware out at every place. She then sat crepes, pancakes, waffles, bacon, omelettes, fresh fruit and condiments in the middle of her friends. “Dig in!” 

As Sarah took her place at the table, Loki emerged from the hallway. “Are you hungry?” She asked. “There’s plenty. Come join us.” 

Loki sat down in his place. Taking a bit of food for himself. “I believe I will. You owe me for such a fantastic lesson.” He looked at Sarah, pressing his lips together, snuffing the smile that pushed through. 

After eating, Sarah started cleaning up the dishes. Humming to herself as she loaded the dishwasher, she heard footsteps approach her. 

Sarah turned around, expecting to see Steve, to Loki. 

“I would like to teach you to control your powers.” Loki spoke softly. “You have great potential.”

“Don’t you think we would end up killing each other by the end of it?” Sarah’s reaction was more harsh than she intended. “I mean, we never get along. You want to teach me how to use my powers?” 

“Yes. First thing in the morning, 6 O’clock.” Loki returned to his room. 

Sarah didn’t understand why Loki offered the help, but she was glad he did.


	2. Stupid Girl.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah has been working hard, training with Loki. It's finally time to make a move on the Obsidian Council. Wanda, Loki and Sarah are tasked with infiltrating their facility and gathering some Intel. When things go wrong, Sarah makes a bold choice. One that makes certain members of the team upset with her.

Sarah started learning under Loki’s wing and within two weeks her powers became more easy to control. She also discovered, in addition to telekinesis and teleportation, the conjuration of items and Loki and she could communicate telepathically. Loki hated that she could get in his head, just as he could get in everyone else’s; but it made for some fun. The two started telling each other jokes at the most inopportune times. Loki discovered just how funny Sarah really was. 

She begged Loki to teach her how to Astral Project, but he vehemently declined. He claimed that was his trick. 

“Good morning,” Sarah said, walking into the living area. It was just Loki and her most mornings. 

Loki didn’t look up from the novel he was reading. “You’re late.” 

Sarah rolled her eyes and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Relax, it's ten after.”

Loki set his book, spine up, across his legs. “Yes, and that is ten minutes of my time that you have wasted. Don’t do it again.”

Sarah thought she was going to roll her eyes out of her head. “Yeah, okay. Do you want some coffee?” She already knew the answer to her question. This had become their routine very quickly. Every morning, she was late. Every morning, he scolded her. Every morning, they drank coffee.

“Yes.” Loki smiled to himself. 

Sarah brought Loki his coffee and sat next to him. She chuckled and picked up his book. “Seriously?” She started. “You are reading Edgar Allen Poe? Why does this suit you?” Loki’s brow furrowed as he snatched back the book. 

“Yes. I’ve taken quite a liking to this miserable man. His works are tolerable to read.” With a flick of his wrist and a green hue, the book vanished. Sarah smiled and took a sip of her coffee. Just then, Tony and Steve came into the living area. 

“Oh great. You two are up. We’ve got something to discuss. No Mr. Miagi action today, super friends.” Tony announced. 

Steve walked over to Sarah and kissed her head. “Morning.” He said and glared at Loki, who pretended not to notice. Sarah and Loki were getting along much better than they had previously and everyone had taken notice. 

“So, while you two were playing sensei and student, Banner and I got a hold of some new information. The Obsidian Council has been working out of a Hydra base in Sweden. Their defense systems are too strong for the front liners to be storming in. We need some reindeer games on this one.” Tony rested his hands on the counter next to the coffee pot. “Sarah, we need you too. And Wanda. Your magic will get us what we need to kick their sorry asses.” 

Loki let out a sigh. “What do you need us to retrieve?” 

“Schematics for the rune encrypted weapons.” Steve chimed in. “Bruce is working on a counter to these weapons.” 

“Sounds good to me. Does Wanda know?” Sarah asked. 

“Not yet.” Tony replied. “We needed to make sure you can get everyone out of there if there is any trouble. Can you do that?” Sarah thought for a moment. Before she could, Loki answered.

“She is more than ready.” 

“Great. Then meet us in the conference room in 15 minutes. FRIDAY, let everyone know that we’re meeting.” Tony made his way out of the room. 

“Yes, sir.” FRIDAY beamed overhead. 

“You really think I’m ready?” Sarah asked Loki. Sarah rose from her seat and paced a bit.

He gave a slight, but confident nod. 

“You got this, Sar.” Steve said as he side eyed Loki. He patted Sarah on the back before he left. 

Loki scoffed after Steve was gone. “Why do you worry so much? It’s very unbecoming. For someone with so much power, you act like a child.” 

“I just don’t want any of you to get hurt, I guess.” Sarah admitted. She placed her hands together in front of her.

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen then.” Loki stood and stared into Sarah’s eyes. He was intimidating when he did that, but Sarah had gotten used to his mannerisms. “Practice a bit. Teleport us to the conference room.” 

“Loki, what if I fail?”

“Stop doubting yourself. That is when you fail.”

“But-”

“I said stop. Just do it.” Sarah rolled her eyes and turned around towards the elevator. Violet light surrounded the two, blinking them from the living area. 

\--

“Holy shit, Sar.” Natasha sat at the table in her usual place, giving a direct view of Sarah and Loki blinking into the room. “That is impressive.”

“If you think that is cool, check this out.” Purple light radiated from Sarah’s middle, sweeping her body, changing her clothes from pajamas to her suit.” Natasha stared in amazement.

Loki rolled his eyes and took his seat. “I should never have taught you to do that. All of the training I’m giving you and that is the thing that you’re most proud of.” 

“It’s cool. I feel like a superhero.” Sarah crooned and sat down in her place. 

“Kid, you are a superhero. You’re an Avenger.” Tony had never actually acknowledged her as an Avenger before. Her lips parted in a wide smile. The room filled up rather quickly. Steve, Clint, Bruce, Wanda, Thor and Pepper entered the room simultaneously, taking their respective places. Whenever the Avengers met together, Sarah felt excited. She felt lucky that these extraordinary people were her friends. All of them. 

“Let’s get down to business.” Tony started. “The Obsidian Council is working out of Stockholm, Sweden, and their main weapons manufacturer is there. With heavy defenses in place, we need to take a more subtle approach. It’s not really my style, but this is something we can’t just rush in and save the day on. Wanda, Sarah and Loki will infiltrate the base and steal the schematics for the weapons. Once back, Bruce, Pepper and I will work on defense weapons to shut these things down. Thor, Cap, Nat, Clint and I will be standing by if things get too hairy while our magicians work their magic. Any questions?” Tony paused. “Nope. Great. The Quinjet is waiting for you three, and we will catch a bit later.” 

\--

Sarah, Loki, Thor, Wanda, Steve, Natasha, and Sarah walked to the Quinjet. Before loading up, Steve grabbed Sarah by the arm. “Be careful, alright.” Steve cautioned her.

“I know. I will. If things go wrong, Wanda and Loki are there.” Sarah smiled back at him. Steve pulled her close in a tight hug.

Sarah hugged him back.

Loki and Thor stood behind the rest of the group, chatting between themselves. “I believe it’s working.” Thor said, nudging his brother. 

“What is working?” Loki questioned. 

Thor grinned widely. “I see you, brother. Looking at Sarah. Why do you think I suggested you help her with magic?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Loki played coy. He gave a smirk to his brother and walked towards Sarah and Steve. He tried not to roll his eyes at the sight of those two hugging. 

“We must get going.” Loki said. Sarah nodded and walked towards the jet. Loki waited until Sarah passed him and followed, placing a hand on her back briefly as they walked. Loki took Sarah by the waist and lifted her in the jet. Steve watched them board and gave a half hearted salute. Tony came out to the air strip as Loki and Sarah boarded. 

“I don’t like that.” Steve grumbled to the three. Tony pat the Captain on the shoulder.

“Am I detecting a hint of jealousy?” Tony asked. 

“No. I just don’t want Sarah to get tangled up with the wrong type of people.”

“Not your choice, pretty boy. If you had wanted a say in it you should have done something a year ago.” 

“What are you saying, Tony?”

“I’m saying, it’s a little late for you to get possessive of her. Come on, man. You know how hard she was crushing on you when she first started working here.”

Steve stared daggers at Tony. Arguments were a semi-regular thing between the two. “I want her to stay safe. I care about her, you know.” 

“You care so much about it now because she isn’t spending every waking moment with you, like normal.” Tony bit back. The others stared awkwardly at anything other than the argument.

“Let’s go.” Steve said, heading towards their jet. Natasha, and Thor shared silent giggles and followed behind Tony and Steve. 

\--

Wanda, Loki and Sarah sat quietly in the Quinjet for most of the ride, until Sarah piped up. “So, how’re we gonna do this?”

Wanda thought for a moment, leaning her elbows on her knees and lacing her gloved fingers together. “What if we cast an illusion on the camera systems? Can you do that?” She said, looking at Loki. 

“Yes, that would work. As long as we don’t run into anyone once we are inside, the cameras won’t see us.” Loki looked back at Wanda. “If we do run into anyone, I assume you can hypnotize them?” 

Wanda nodded her head firmly. “Sarah, you want to get the documents and you can blink us out of there as soon as you get them all?” 

“Yes. I grabbed a thumb drive in case the files are on the computer, which i assume they are. Everything is digital now.” Sarah fished the drive out of the pocket on her utility belt. 

“Good thinking.” Wanda said with a smile. “ The sun is setting and we’ve been in the air for a while. We’re getting close.”

Sarah leaned against the wall of the aircraft and sighed. She always got nervous before a mission.   
“Let’s do this.” She said. 

The jet let the three out before reaching the destination.

“This is where we are supposed to meet the others when we are finished.” Sarah looked around, committing the place to memory. It was much easier for her to blink to locations that she actually knew what they looked like. “Okay, let’s go.” 

\--  
Once the three were inside the facility, it was fairly easy to navigate. Loki created a mirage to hide them from the view of cameras and they quietly make their way through a large corridor. At the end of the hall stood a door that read “DOCUMENT LIBRARY: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”

“That was easy.” Wanda whispered. Sarah reached for the handle. Sure enough, it was unlocked. Sarah peaked into the room to discover that it was empty. 

“Strange.” Sarah said to the others. The room was small and lined with file cabinets and a computer desk sat in the middle. Sarah walked to the desk and sat down. Her back faced a door. Sarah searched through the computer quickly and found the files containing the information. 

She took the thumb drive and connected it to the computer. The files started to transfer quickly. “This was too easy.” Sarah said. 

“I prefer it that way.” Wanda said. “I’m going to keep a lookout in the hall.” 

Loki searched through the various cabinets for any additional information. Soon, Tony, Steve Natasha and Clint made their presence known through the ear pieces everyone wore. 

“How’s it going?” Natasha asked. 

“Great. It’s about sixty percent through copying the files. I don’t think people even know we’re here, thanks to Loki.” Sarah replied. 

Loki’s lips pulled into a smile. Steve rolled his eyes and Tony chuckled. 

“That was the plan, kid. Now, as soon as you get those files copied, you get your asses out of there. Reindeer Games might be good, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Yep.” Sarah replied. The air became silent and Sarah watched as the files transferred onto the drive. Watching it felt like it took forever. 

Suddenly, the lights blinked off and a red light illuminated the space. A buzzing noise echoed through the hallways. 

“Shit.” Loki said to himself. 

The computer screen flashed a message. “SECURITY BREACH!”

“Uh, guys. We have a problem.” Sarah said into her ear piece.

“What’s going on?” Tony asked over the headset. 

“There was a security measure encrypted in one of the files. It must’ve tripped when the download got to eighty percent.” 

Loki moved next to Sarah, staring at the screen. “Can you finish it?” he asked. 

“Yes, but I need a bit of time. It’s still downloading, so as long as I don’t take it out, it should be OK.” Sarah’s eyes darted between the computer and the hallway, anticipating an attack. “Shit, guys I’m sorry.” 

Sounds of gunfire radiated through the hallway. Wanda’s red magic further illuminated the already red space, leaving her shadow cast on the wall though the door. 

“I suppose I should join her. Get this done and get us out of here.” Loki commanded Sarah and vanished in a flash of green. Sarah kept her eyes on the screen, listening to the sounds of bodies falling to the floor. 

“We’re coming in!” Steve shouted over the headsets. 

“No!” Wanda cried. “We have it in here. Just wait for us.”

“It’s almost done! I think we will be alright.” Sarah said. 

Sarah felt cold metal touch her neck. Her body stiffened and stood straight up. “What do we have here?” An unfamiliar voice chuckled. “Somebody is stealing. An act that must be punished.” 

“Shit.” She breathed. Loki and Wanda entered the room, stopping almost immediately. 

“Stop right there!” The voice commanded. “I will kill her.” 

Sarah’s eyes met Loki’s. He could see her fear and spoke to her without words. Sarah, get us out of here. 

I can’t, The file isn’t done and I--

Fuck the files. Don’t be foolish. 

Swift footsteps signaled the approach of more men. A metal can clinked on the floor and white smoke filled the room. Sarah could only see flashes of green and red through the haze. Sarah took the opportunity to conjure a small blade and stab the man. He fell to the ground. 

“Guys, feedback is appreciated. Where are we at?” Tony stressed. No one answered him. 

“Sarah, get us out of here!” Shouted Wanda, struggling to fight the men as they entered the room. 

“Do it now!” Loki yelled. 

Sarah ducked back down next to the computer and barely made out the screen “99% complete. It’s almost done. I’m right behind you!” She shouted, and her magic enveloped Wanda and Loki, removing them from the space. The smoke started to dissipate before the file was done, but Sarah remained motionless to not alert anyone that she was still there. 

\--

“Holy shit.” Tony said to Wanda and Loki as they appeared right next to the rest of the avengers. 

“Where’s Sarah?” Clint asked, bringing it to everyone’s attention. Loki and Wanda exchanged worried glances, then looked at the others. 

“She was right here with us. There was a man who grabbed her. Oh my--” Wanda said. 

“Shit.” Loki said, clenching his fists at his sides. 

“What does ‘shit’ mean?” Steve’s voice shook as he pushed himself in front of Loki. “A man grabbed her? What happened in there?” 

“I’m going back for her.” Loki said, with a blank expression in his face. He looked at Thor, who saw the worry in his eyes. 

“No, fuck that. We are all going!” Steve shouted at Loki, who rolled his eyes. 

“I can get in there just as quickly as she got us out, do suggest we take a nice stroll back to the facility?” Loki turned from Steve to see purple light shine in front of him. His eyes widened and his jaw tensed. 

“Got it done.” Sarah said with a smile. It faded quickly as she looked at the faces of her friends. 

“Sarah, oh my god. You’re okay!” Steve ran past Loki to embrace her. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Sarah gave Steve a half hug back. “The drive wasn’t finished yet and I blinked Loki and Wanda out, so they had no idea I was even there, so it was--”

“Stupid.” Steve interrupted, letting go of Sarah. “Why did you do that?”

“It was fine.” Sarah said with a wave of her hand. With another wave, she blinked everyone back to their home. 

The other Avengers adjusted to the move, remaining silent and watching Steve and Sarah intently. Tony walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. Loki leaned against the wall. 

“It was fine?” Steve asked. “What if something would’ve happened? What if you had gotten hurt and there was no one there to help you?” Steve seemed to be unphased by the change in location, keeping all of his focus on Sarah. 

“Yes, it was fine. I did what I had to do to get the mission done. You would’ve done the same!” Sarah’s patience was running thin. She tossed her hands up in the air and walked over to Tony. “Here you go.” she said as she grabbed his armoured hand, placing the drive in it. She smiled at him and Tony opened his mask, revealing a smile. 

“Good work, kid.” He praised her.

“I’m not done talking to you yet, Sar.” Steve chastised. “There was no one there to protect you and Wanda said that a man grabbed you. I thought something bad happened.” 

Sarah Spun on her heels to face Steve. “I had the situation under control, Steve. I was fine. Moving them was a perfect distraction for the others, they thought we were gone. I grabbed the drive and made my exit. I don’t see what the big deal is.” She hissed. 

“The big deal is there was no one there to protect you.” Steve snapped. 

“I’m not a fucking child. I don’t need protection. I was fine! Have a little bit of faith in me for god’s sake!” Sarah stormed back to Steve and pushed on his chest. Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head down at her. 

“You don’t get it.” He pressed. 

“There’s nothing to get. I’m sorry I made you worry, dad.” Sarah said condescendingly. 

“We thought you might have been hurt, You stupid girl!” Loki spit, unable to keep his composure any longer. He flew from the wall to Sarah. He towered above her. Sarah instinctively backed down a bit, but quickly stood tall and stared back at Loki with the same intensity. “The last we saw of you was a knife to your throat!” 

Everyone’s eyes were on Loki, surprised by his outburst. 

“Since when do you care if I am hurt or not?” Sarah said, coldly. 

“Stupid girl.” Loki said softly. He rolled his eyes and went to his room. 

“Ugh.” Sarah groaned and her apron appeared in her hand. She tied it around her waist and headed for the kitchen. 

Clint and Natasha looked at each other and left the room. Wanda bowed out just as quickly. Steve stood in shock. Tony rolled his eyes and spoke to Steve “Good job, Captain numbnuts.” 

“I just… I don’t know.” Steve looked down at his feet. 

“She’s right, man. She made the right call and you would’ve done the same.” Tony turned and headed for the elevator. 

Steve sighed and headed to his room. 

Thor stayed in the common area. After a moment of contemplation he joined Sarah in the kitchen. “Are you alright?” He asked hesitantly. 

“Thor, I’m baking a cake at ten at night. Do you think I’m alright?” 

“No.” Thor sat at the island, watching Sarah mix ingredients together. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear this right now, but Loki--”

Sarah cut him off. “What about him? He is always an ass. He always calls me names; always puts me down. I thought maybe if I let him help me with my powers, we might be able to be friends. I don’t know why I thought that.” Sarah gripped the bowl to her chest and mixed the ingredients angrily.

“My brother is, uhm, good with words.” Thor paused a moment. “He is not good however, with feelings.”

Sarah scoffed. Her knuckles were white from the grip she held on the whisk. She slung the whisk and bowl on the counter. “What do you mean, feelings?” 

Thor smirked. “He cares about you.” 

“He has a funny way of showing it.” Sarah pouted. 

“Yes. he does.” 

Sarah humored Thor. “So, how do you know he cares about me?” 

“When you first started working with us, when Steve first introduced you to us. Loki said ‘Purple just might be my new favorite color.’” 

Sarah looked at Thor with wide eyes. She felt her chest tighten. Sarah had barely interacted with Loki over the last year and he certainly never acted like he was even remotely interested in her. She swallowed hard and turned her gaze back to the bowl and whisk. “I think I need a minute.” She said, picking up the bowl. 

“Sure.” Thor said as he stood and walked out of the kitchen, stopping before leaving “You should talk to him.” 

Sarah felt tears roll down her face. “I’m such an idiot.” she whispered to herself. She finished mixing and put the cake in the oven. She leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. She heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. She turned away from the noise and wiped the tears from her face. 

“Sar, I’m sorry.” Steve said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It wasn’t fair of me to snap at you like that. I don’t want to see you get hurt, or think about losing you. I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” Sarah turned into Steve and hugged him. Steve held her tightly and softly kissed the top of her head. Sarah cried hard into his chest. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk.” 

“I was the jerk. I know you can handle yourself, I just forget sometimes.” Steve said. He caught the smell of the cake baking. “Cake?” 

“Yeah, it’s chocolate.” Sarah replied as she pushed herself off Steve. She wiped her eyes and smiled softly. 

“I made you upset enough for cake? And you’re still in your suit?!” Steve chuckled. “At least something good came out of this.” 

Sarah laughed and delivered a soft punch to Steve’s arm. “Thank you for caring so much.” 

“I’ll leave you to it.” Steve chuckled. “I want a piece of that cake when it’s done.” He winked at Sarah. 

“Yep.” Sarah held a thumbs up to him. “You know I always make chocolate because it’s your favorite.” 

Steve headed back to his room. Sarah genuinely loved how she could never stay mad at Steve and he could never stay mad at her. Loki was another story. She thought over how she would apologize to him. Does he like chocolate cake, too? Vanilla? Shit, does he even like sweets? I don’t think ive ever seen him eat sweets. Oh my god, I should just ask him. I mean, if I just ask him… nope. How am I going to talk to him? Thor said--Goddammit. Fuck. Shit. What do I say?! Sarah was so caught in her head space that she nearly forgot about the cake in the oven. Thankfully, the smell pulled her out of her anxiety. She removed the cake from the oven just in time. She whipped up some icing while the cake cooled in the freezer. 

“FRIDAY, could you let everyone know that I made dessert?” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” 

As everyone came into the kitchen area. Everyone but Sarah had changed out of their suits and into sweats and t-shirts. Sarah magiced herself into pajamas and iced the cake. “Please accept my ‘sorry I made everyone feel awkward; cake!” 

“Don’t have to ask me twice, Betty Crocker.” Tony said rubbing his hands together. “I love cake.” 

Everyone chuckled and crowded around the island where Sarah cut and divided out slices to her friends. Loki never came out for cake. 

Loki? She talked to him in her head. 

He didn’t answer her. 

I know you can hear me. Come eat some cake? I want to apologize. 

Still no answer. Sarah sighed and dished herself out a piece of cake. Everyone stood at the counter, enjoying their cake and talking. 

“You know what we need now?” Tony said, clearing everyone’s plates when they were empty. “Drinks!” 

“I thought you’d never suggest it.” Natasha said. 

Everyone nodded in approval. The group moved over to the bar and Tony poured drinks. Drinks flowed and at some point, music was put on. Nat, Wanda, and Sarah all danced together, laughing at their ridiculous dance moves. It was just the release everyone needed after a mission. Honestly, most nights after missions were spent drinking and dancing. Hangovers usually came the morning after. 

The girls were busy dancing and the guys were busy watching them, nobody but Thor noticed when Loki made his appearance.

“There he is!” Thor shouted over the music as Loki appeared in the space. Sarah ran up to him. 

“You ignored me. You had a right, but I just wanted to say sorry.” she grabbed his sleeve and ushered him to the left over cake. “Accept my sorry cake.” 

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re drunk.” 

“Yes.” Sarah said triumphantly, her cheeks rosy from the alcohol. “Yes, I am and you need cake and a drink!” Her eyes locked with Loki’s. His eyebrow still raised, he gave a small smile. Sarah’s eyes darted back to the cake, remembering once again the information Thor had provided earlier. 

“Alright.” he said, finally. 

“Okay!” Sarah shouted and grabbed a fork. She loaded it with a bite and held it up to Loki’s mouth.  
He wrapped his lips around the fork and his eyes widened. The rich chocolate flavor overloaded his taste buds with satisfaction. He then closed his eyes and chewed. 

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Sarah asked proudly. 

Loki only hummed and shook his head. He wouldn’t admit it, but he more enjoyed Sarah feeding him than the cake. Loki felt warmth in his core. He opened his eyes and looked back at Sarah. She really was beautiful. He could lose himself in her purple eyes. He tried hard to suppress the adoration he felt for her, it was for the best. 

“Do you forgive me?” Sarah looked at Loki’s features waiting for a response. When he didn’t answer after a beat she offered more apologies. “I’m really, really, sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things. You’re a good friend.” 

“We can talk later. I need a drink. I believe we are celebrating a victory, correct?” Loki bent his head down closer to Sarah’s ear. “Also, everyone is staring at us.” 

Sarah, suddenly embarrassed, shot her head up to see her friends all take sips of their drinks and avert their eyes away from her. Natasha and Tony shook hands as if they were placing a bet. 

“Yep.” Sarah said, heading back over to the bar. Loki followed. 

The party continued well into the early morning. 4 A.M. rolled around and everyone started making their way to their beds. Sarah waited for everyone to leave before she cornered Loki. Her copious amounts of liquid courage gave her the words to say to him. 

“So, I talked to Thor.” She said shuffling her feet on the marble floor. 

“You did?” Loki said.

“Yeah. Why didn’t you tell me?” She looked at him seriously. 

“It wouldn’t have mattered. By the time you actually met me, your opinion had already been formed. That is usually the case.” 

“It was not.” Sarah protested, soon coming to the realization that he was right. Her shoulder slumped. “I guess you’re right. I’m sorry for that. I should’ve given you a chance.”

“Given the fact that you had eyes for the Captain, I assumed I really wasn’t to your liking anyway.” Loki confessed. “It seemed like you were growing fonder of each other and I had assumed until very recently that you were actually courting.”

“Courting? Like dating? Ha. No. I did have a thing for Steve for a while when I met him, but it grew into a friendship that I really can’t describe. He’s like a brother to me, I guess.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yeah, but anyway. I’m sorry that I was such a… well… bitch.”

Loki laughed. “You were. I dished it back though.” 

An awkward silence fell between the two. Sarah pointed her head at her feet, sneaking glimpses of Loki out of the side of her eyes. He rubbed his hands down his pant legs and looked anywhere but at Sarah. They were both unsure if the tension in the air was caused by them, the liquor in their systems, or both. Sarah wrung her hands together nervously. 

Sarah swayed on her feet, slightly losing balance. Loki reached out to catch her from falling. His arm wrapped around her waist, making the two face each other. Sarah gripped his bicep to help steady herself. Her eyes moved from his arm to his neck, to his lips, then to his eyes. The deep blue of his irises were hidden behind dilated pupils. His expression was soft, but also restrained. Her cheeks flushed and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She took her free hand and touched his cheek. “You have very beautiful eyes.” Sarah admired. She surprised herself with her boldness. It was definitely the liquor.

“As do you.” Loki breathed. He leaned into the hand on his cheek. His arm wrapped further around her waist, pulling Sarah closer to him. “They are the most beautiful color I have ever seen.” 

Sarah wrapped her hands around Loki’s neck, interlocking her fingers. She looked at his lips. “Your lips are--”

Loki stopped her words by meeting his lips to hers. Being this close to Sarah, feeling her soft hands on his cheek, he couldn’t resist his lust anymore. He caressed her back with his hands. The two of them melted into each other, exploring the curves of their bodies. Sarah broke her lips from Loki. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t be kissing in the living room.” She breathed. Loki grinned at her. 

He scooped her up as if she weighed nothing and headed for his bedroom, kissing her as he walked. He stopped before entering his room. “Would kissing in here be appropriate?”

“It would.” Sarah said and nuzzled her head into Loki’s neck. He shuddered as her lips grazed his skin. 

“Are you sure?” Loki asked. “You’ve had quite a bit to drink.”

“I don’t care if I’m drunk.” Sarah said in between kisses on his neck. “I want to keep doing this.”

Loki held Sarah with one arm and punched in the code to his room.


	3. Stolen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds out about Sarah's night with Loki. The tower falls under attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains an abduction.

The bright light of mid-day woke Sarah. Her eyes opened and took in the emerald accents of Loki’s room. Dark green curtains were held back by golden ropes, framing the New York landscape like a painting. They blended in with the green walls. A jade couch, loveseat and chair sat across the wooden floor of the room and a black and gold tea table sat in the middle of the furniture. A black bookshelf lined up with the wall with each book placed neatly on the shelves. Sarah looked up at the ceiling where two golden chandeliers hung on either side of the room. She was positive, judging by their size, one would have been enough to light the room. She turned her head and looked at Loki. 

His long, thick lashes laid softly on his cheeks. He looked different. Tranquil. Serene. Vulnerable. 

Sarah’s heart skipped a beat as she studied the rest of him. Raven locks rested on the silk, green pillow. Loki’s exposed chest rose up and down rhythmically to his calm breaths. His hands laid on his stomach; fingers barely touching the sheet that covered his waist and legs. 

Sarah almost couldn’t stop looking at him. He was so beautiful it almost felt wrong not to admire him. Of course, she wasn’t used to seeing Loki in a state of peace. He usually acted as if everything annoyed him, he couldn’t be bothered, or a weird mixture of both. 

Sarah rubbed her fingers over the sharp line of Loki’s jaw. Loki stirred slightly, but remained asleep. Sarah pulled the sheets off of her and sat up on the side of the bed. The air was cold against her bare skin as she stood to find her clothes. Her head throbbed while she stepped into her underwear and pajama pants. Her hangover was much worse than she thought it was when she woke. She needed coffee and medicine. 

Sarah slipped her arms through the straps of her bra and clasped it behind her back. She pulled her shirt on as she walked to the door. It was painted black with gold trim. She quietly turned the knob, as to not disturb Loki in his slumber or alert anyone who might be outside of the room that she was coming through. When the door opened, she popped her head out, checking down each side of the hallway for any signs of her friends. 

No one was in the hallway to Sarah’s relief. She pulled the door closed silently and made her way to the kitchen. To her surprise, Natasha was on the only one in the kitchen. 

“Good afternoon, Sar.” Natasha sat at the island with a cup of tea, dressed and ready for the day. Natasha’s recovery from a night of heavy drinking was impressive. In the year that she had known her, Sarah had never seen Natasha with anything more than a small headache. 

“Ugh.” Sarah groaned as she fetched a cup out of the cupboard and filled it with coffee. She had desperately hoped she was the first to be up. 

“Fun night, huh?” 

Sarah shot Natasha a look of annoyance. Natasha chuckled and stood up. She walked over to the cupboard that contained the medicine in it. The Avengers learned to stash meds in various places around their home. She handed Sarah the bottle.

“Thanks.” Sarah said. She opened the bottle and dumped two pills into her hand, popped the pills in her mouth and took a delicate sip of her piping hot coffee. Sarah closed her eyes, feeling the warmth from her drink. She tilted her head back and her long hair fell from her shoulders. 

Sarah set her cup down on the counter and magicked a hair tie in her hands. She pulled her hair up into a bun and grabbed a pan from the cupboard. 

Before grabbing ingredients out of the fridge, Sarah turned to Natasha. “Do you want something to eat?” 

“Sure, what are you--” Natasha started as she looked up at Sarah. The deep purple bruise on Sarah’s pulse point stood out against the soft apricot color of her skin. “What the hell is that?!” Natasha rushed up to Sarah and poked the mark. 

Natasha’s touch created a dull ache on Sarah’s neck. “Ow.”

“Sorry.” Natasha giggled. “It looks like you’ve already fed someone.” 

“What?” Sarah panicked. She waved her hand in the air, conjuring a mirror. 

Sarah studied the mark on her neck. Her fingertips brushed over it and she felt her cheeks warm. She magicked the mirror away and pulled her hair tie out. Soft brown strands of hair covered the mark. “No one.” Sarah held a finger up to Natasha who looked amused. 

“My lips are sealed… but I have a question.” 

“Nope.” Sarah turned from Natasha and gathered items from the refrigerator. 

“It’s alright. I already know the answer anyway.” Nat sipped at her tea. 

Tony came into the kitchen. His hair was slept on and his eyes were open just wide enough to navigate to the coffee pot. “Hey.” He said to the ladies as he performed the same ritual Sarah had, just moments ago. 

“Hey there.” Sarah replied. “Breakfast?” 

“Ugh, yes.” Tony answered after taking a drink. “Bacon. Please tell me you’re making bacon.” 

Sarah nodded her head. She placed a few strips on the hot pan. The bacon sizzled and popped.  
“How did you sleep?” Tony asked, openly. 

“I slept great!” Natasha said and looked at Sarah. “I don’t think Sarah did much sleeping.” 

Sarah whipped around and her glare burned holes in Nat’s head. “Really?” She snipped. 

Nat laughed and Tony’s interest was piqued. Tony looked back and forth at the girls and grinned knowingly. 

“Looks like I win then.” Tony told Natasha, who rolled her eyes. She pulled a twenty dollar bill out of the pocket of her jeans and handed it to Tony. 

Sarah flipped the bacon over and tossed the tongs on the counter in annoyance. 

“What are you two talking about?” Sarah questioned. 

“When you were going to find out why they call Reindeer Games ‘silvertongue’.” 

“I thought you’d last a couple more weeks.” Natasha admitted. 

“Oh my god!” Sarah threw her hands up in the air. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Picking up the tongs she threw, she pointed them wildly at Tony. “That is none of your business.” 

Tony smirked. He ran his fingers through his hair and shrugged. “It’s all in good fun. Nat and I couldn’t help but notice the little moment you had over cake last night.” 

Sarah sighed and put the bacon on a plate. She shoved it towards Tony. “I shouldn’t even give you this. I’m mad at you.” 

Tony laughed and grabbed the plate. “You love us, don’t lie. Besides kid, I’m happy for you. It’s about time you got laid.” 

Sarah’s eyes widened. Tony could see the fire in them. He took a bite of his bacon, winked and headed to the island to sit down. Bruce and Thor came into the kitchen at that moment. They were talking about some asgardian tradition as they joined the others around the island. Bruce looked at Natasha, who was still trying to stifle her laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” Bruce asked. 

“Nothing!” Sarah yelled behind her. 

“Sarah got laid.” Tony said with a mouth full. 

Bruce looked at Tony. His mouth hung open. Thor watched Sarah as her cheeks flushed pink. She toyed with the hair that covered her mark. Sarah turned from the group to continue cooking. 

Sarah didn’t really know why she felt so embarrassed, other than the obvious fact of her friends talking about it right in front of her. It wasn’t like she regretted what she had done. Her friends fucking bet on her. That is what made Sarah the most angry, not that she was surprised. The group always made stupid bets, made fun of each other and even went too far with the joke a lot. 

This was the first time she was really the focus of the unwanted attention. 

“Alright. Enough about me.” Sarah said as she cooked more bacon. 

“I’m happy for you, Sarah.” Bruce said. He was sincere in his statement. Bruce usually didn’t say much, but when he did he was always nice to Sarah. She turned to him and smiled. 

“Thank you. It’s good to know that not everyone in this place is an asshole.” 

Bruce smiled back at Sarah, who turned back to making the food. She put the bacon on a plate and set it in the middle of the island. The group dug in immediately. Sarah made omelettes and toast. The four at the island discussed how Sarah made the best bacon. Sarah soon set a plate in front of each person and scooped the omelettes onto their plates. 

While they were eating, Steve made his way into the kitchen. He walked up behind Sarah and placed a kiss on her head. He paused for a moment. Her hair smelled different than it’s usual fruity scent. It smelled like something familiar, but Steve couldn’t quite place it. “Good morning.” he said as he dipped into the fridge, pulling out the orange juice. He filled a glass and looked at everyone. 

All eyes were on Steve. He cocked a brow. “What?” he asked. Tony cleared his throat and looked away. Natasha shook her head. Bruce and Thor focused on their food. Steve looked over at Sarah. “What’s their problem?”

“Not sure.” Sarah lied. “Want an omelette?” 

“Yes, I do.” 

Sarah plated the omelette meant for her and handed it to Steve. As Sarah turned from Steve, he noticed her bruise. “What’s that on your neck?” 

“Oh,” Sarah grabbed her hair and fixed it over the purple spot. “Just a bruise.” 

“Huh.” Steve clicked his tongue and tilted his head in Sarah’s direction. 

Sarah smiled nervously. If there was someone she didn’t want to know about her sex life, it was Steve. Sarah made herself an omelette and joined her friends, who had all finished eating. Natasha cleaned up the plates as everyone enjoyed the moment of silence. The stillness of the air was interrupted by the ding of the elevator. Clint walked through the threshold of the elevator. 

“Good afternoon.” He said. Everyone greeted him with staggered greetings. Clint walked up to the island and leaned an elbow on it. “Wow. You guys look beat.” 

“Hangovers are a merciless bitch.” Tony said. “Why do you look so chipper, Legolas?” 

“The wife always gives me something before I go to bed to keep from getting a hangover. She was really pissed I got home at 5AM, though.” Clint looked at Natasha, who gave him a playful slap on the arm. 

“I told you to call her and tell her you were staying at the tower for a while. You know how she worries. With good reason, too.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I just got caught up in conversation. She was fine when I woke up this morning.” Clint said with a smile. 

“You don’t deserve her.” Natasha said and everyone laughed. 

Clint’s eyes widened and huffed. “Yeah.”

Pepper and Wanda came into the kitchen together. “Work time.” Pepper chimed. Everyone groaned and got up from their seats. 

“I need a shower first.” Sarah said. She headed for her room.

Once she was gone, Steve looked at his friends. “I’ll kill him.” he said. 

“No no no no no. Nope.” Tony held a finger up in protest. “You will not.”

Steve’s nostrils flared and his brow furrowed. He rolled his eyes and remained silent.

“Who will you kill?” Thor asked. 

“You don’t want to bark up that tree.” Natasha said. 

“Your brother.” Steve said dryly. 

“I am not sure I understand. What tree? Why would I bark? Is my brother in a tree?” 

Tony laughed at Thor. Everyone but Steve joined in. “It’s a metaphor, it means that you don’t want to question Cap over here about who he is going to kill. It’s your brother he wants to kill by the way.” 

Thor shrugged. “Many men want to kill him.”

“He’s a snake.” Steve said. 

“It is my sigil.” Loki said as he walked in the kitchen.

“You son of a--” Steve started after Loki, but was interrupted by Thor standing in front of him and placing a hand on his chest. 

“Whatever my brother has done warrants this, I'm sure; but let’s set our differences aside.” Thor attempted to calm the Captain down. Steve looked between the two brothers and sighed. 

“Ask him what he did.” Steve threw his hands up in the air and stepped back from Thor. 

“I haven’t any idea what you’re talking about.” Loki said. Everyone looked at him. He smiled wryly. 

“Everyone knows, Loki.” Natasha said. “She has a giant mark on her neck.” 

Loki’s smile grew and he looked down at his feet. “Oops.” 

“Oops?! You find that funny? ‘Cause i’m sure you’re the only one.” Steve hollered. 

“Keep it down there, testosterone.” Tony chastised. “You don’t want Sarah to hear you, do you?”

Steve huffed and pointed at Loki. “You break her heart and I will kill you.” 

The smile disappeared from Loki’s face. He eyed Steve with intensity. “I assure you I have no intention of doing so.” 

Steve was taken aback by Loki’s words. There was a deep sincerity in them that everyone could hear. Steve shook it off and pushed past Thor, who still stood in front of him, and stood toe to toe with Loki. Loki was a bit taller than Steve, but he scowled at the man who looked down at him. He broke his stare without words and stormed off. 

Thor turned around and looked at his brother and smiled slightly.

\--

Sarah pulled her shirt over her head and stared at the mark on her neck in the mirror. “Shit.” she said. It was dark and large. The mark was a reminder of how Loki’s lips felt on her skin. They were soft and attentive. His hands were just as tender as they made a map of her body. They embraced her with a tender strength that made her feel relaxed. Her heart pounded as she thought of the sight of Loki’s bare skin. It was flawless, like a porcelain sculpture. His body truly was a work of art. 

Sarah forced herself to move away from the mirror and turn the shower on. The water grew warmer and steam billowed from over the shower door. She took her clothes off and tossed them in the laundry basket. Before she stepped in the shower, she heard a knock at the door of her bedroom. 

Sarah rolled her eyes and grabbed her purple dressing gown from it’s hook. She tied it around her waist and answered the door. Loki stood on the other side. 

The deep v-cut of Sarah’s dressing gown pulled his focus. His mouth felt dry and for a moment he had briefly forgotten the reason he knocked on Sarah’s door. His eyes wandered down her slender waist, wide hips and long legs. She was, quite possibly, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His gaze swept back up her body. He noticed the mark he left on her neck; the reason he had come to visit. 

Sarah felt awkward watching Loki stare at her. She felt so exposed. She also felt like an idiot for feeling that way. She woke up in his bed, what else could she expose to him that he hadn’t already seen? She clutched her robe around her chest. “Loki? Did you need something?”

Loki cleared his throat. “Uh, yes. I was informed of that.” He pointed to Sarah’s neck. 

“Yeah. it’s kind of in a noticeable spot. I also didn’t know I had it.”

“I can heal it if you want.” Loki offered. 

Sarah put her hand over the bruise. Part of her wanted it to be gone. No one would see it anymore, so they couldn’t ask questions about it. The other part of her wanted it to stay. Honestly, she was unsure why she didn’t want to get rid of it. It made such an awkward encounter with her friends. It made her lie to Steve--well, not lie exactly-- but it wasn’t the truth. She was pretty sure that he knew anyway. 

“Wanna come in?” She asked.

Loki nodded and stepped closer to Sarah, who stepped aside to let him pass. She closed the door behind her and headed to the bathroom. “Give me just a sec. I need to turn the water off. I was going to jump in the shower.” 

Loki studied the items in Sarah’s room. Her walls were painted a soft lavender color and white furniture filled the space. The surfaces of her bookshelves, desk and couches were filled with clutter. Her books were placed on the shelf without any organization at all. He looked at the contents on top of her dresser. It was a mess. Bottles of perfume were scattered about. Hair ties and hair pins were tossed haphazardly on the surface. Loki rolled his eyes when he looked at the picture frame that sat above the mess. Steve had Sarah on his shoulders and was smiling at the camera, while Sarah was pushing the hair from her face and smiled just as brightly. Loki rolled his eyes and pulled the picture on its face. 

“Okay.” Sarah said as she came back from the bathroom. 

Loki whipped around to face her. She was still in her dressing gown, but it was pulled much tighter around her chest and waist. Loki’s palms felt sweaty as he stared at Sarah, a feeling he wasn’t accustomed to.

“So,do you wish to have that blemish removed?” He asked through slightly uneven breaths. Seeing the mark he left on her skin made Loki feel restless. 

Sarah drew in a deep breath. “Would it be weird if I kind of like it?” 

Loki was surprised by Sarah’s admission. He regained his composure and grinned at her.   
He stepped closer to her and placed a hand over her mark. Green light shone from under his palm, returning her skin to its natural color. He rubbed his thumb on her neck and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

Something about Sarah, especially after last night, made Loki want to spend the rest of his time tangled in sheets with her. 

Sarah wrapped her arms around Loki’s waist. He cupped her face with his hands and looked into her purple eyes. Her expression was soft as she stared back at him. Sarah stood on the tips of her toes, bringing herself to Loki’s lips. He bent himself down to meet her advances. Loki pulled himself away from her and bit his lip. “If you’ll allow me, I will make plenty more of those marks in more discrete regions.” 

Sarah’s cheeks flushed hot and she stared at Loki with wide eyes. Her heart pounded and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She looked down and touched her cheek with the back of her fingers. “I--I wouldn’t be opposed..” She managed to breathe out. 

Loki chuckled at her and looked her up and down. “I must be going. I believe you had a shower to take.” He backed up towards the door. 

“Oh, yeah. I really need one.” Sarah stared at Loki longingly.

Loki smiled and lazily shrugged his shoulders. “Unless of course you’re looking for company.” 

Sarah returned the smile and nodded. As the two walked towards the shower, they were nearly knocked off their feet by a force that hit the tower. The ground shook violently as FRIDAY chimed overhead. “The tower has sustained structural damage on the north side and it appears there is more incoming.” 

Outside of Sarah’s bedroom there was commotion, her friends rushed about searching for the cause of the disturbance. Sarah and Loki both changed their garments with magic, each in their battle suits. They burst from Sarah’s room as the windows in the living area were blown in and a sea of men clad in black tactical gear slid in on ropes. 

“Not this shit again!” Tony hollered as he rushed to grab his suit. Natasha jumped over the island and located one of the many firearms she kept stashed in the building. Clint joined her, Grabbing his bow from his belt and flipping it to its extended position. He fired his arrows rapidly into the crowd, striking every target. Wanda, Loki and Sarah used their magic to subdue some of the seemingly endless mass of intruders. Thor knocked many men back at a time with his hammer. 

Bruce took cover, whispering to himself calming chants to keep the ‘other guy’ from making an appearance.

Bullets blew holes in the walls and furniture. Sarah and Wanda sent waves of energy through their hands, knocking back any assailants that came their way. Loki conjured his daggers and, as if performing a dance, sliced down the men who came after him. 

Natasha used the island as cover and aided her magic wielding friends. Tony returned in his suit, blasting beams of blue-white light from his hands. Steve was close behind. He launched his shield around Tony. It bounced off of the men in black rounding back to meet his arm. 

The Avengers fought hard as more and more of the men in tactical gear poured in through the broken windows. 

“FRIDAY, drop the window armor.” Tony ordered. 

“Sir.” FRIDAY answered. The iron shades slammed down, blocking out the intruders. 

Bodies littered the suite and the team stood tired. Attempting to catch their breath. Loud clangs echoed off of the shutters, until one of them was breached. A man in a black robe and face mask stepped through the opening. 

Steve lunged toward the man, who dodged the incoming attacks with ease. He waved his hand and sent Steve flying across the room into the bar. Wanda and Sarah sent pulses of magic toward the man, but he was untouched by their force. The women stared in disbelief, while the man silently advanced toward them. Natasha and Clint’s bullets and arrows were useless against him as well. 

Thor threw his hammer at the man, who seemed to only step aside as it whizzed past him. As it flew back to Thor’s hand, the hammer missed its target again. 

Tony launched himself in the man’s direction, only to meet the same fate as Steve. Loki swiftly threw his knives at the man. Again, the attack was futile. 

The man reached Wanda and Sarah. With one hand he grabbed on to Sarah’s arm. The other was used to push Wanda away. He then grabbed a strange looking gun from under his cape and pressed it to Sarah’s torso. She struggled against the man, shooting purple flashes at him, trying desperately to make him stagger. The man pulled the trigger of the gun. It sent a shockwave through Sarah's body and the light from her fingertips faded. She screamed out in pain.  
Loki sprung toward Sarah. He just barely missed her as they were swept away in a violet fog. 

“No!” Loki screamed at the space the two had occupied. 

“What the hell was that?” Tony panted as he rose to his feet. Scanning the disarray around him, he noticed each man they fought had the same symbol on their shoulder. He walked over to one of the bodies and eyed it. “FRIDAY. Scan the database for this symbol.” The eyes of his helmet lit blue and swept over the image. 

“This symbol is not recognised in any database I have access to, sir. But, if I may point out, it bears a strong resemblance to the Hydra symbol.” 

“Could it be the Obsidian Council, FRIDAY? Are there any symbols in your database for them?” 

“There is one, sir. It appears as if the symbols for these two groups have been merged together.” FRIDAY pulled up a picture of the symbol on the display inside Tony’s helmet. He studied the image. A black serpent wrapped around a skull as it ate its tail. Tony projected the image from his helmet and the rest of the team stared at it. 

“An ouroboros.” Natasha pointed out. She closely examined the symbol on the bodies that laid at her feet. It was the same symbol, but tentacles splayed out from beneath the skull. “I think we might have pissed off the Obsidian Council.” 

“You think?” Tony exclaimed and lifted his mask over his face. “And while we’re on the subject; why did they take Sarah?” 

Steve looked at his teammates, studying their curious faces. “We have to get her back.” 

“FRIDAY, track Sarah.” Tony said. 

“I’m already on it, sir. She isn’t very far from here. Her location pinged last at the meatpacking district on 17th.” 

“Keep tracking her. I want to know if she moves a centimeter.”

“Yes, sir.” FRIDAY chimed. 

Loki conjured his helmet and placed it on his head. He turned for the elevator when Thor placed a hand on his shoulder. “Brother, where are you going?” 

“You heard the mechanical woman.” Loki shrugged his brother’s hand off of his shoulder. 

“Wait, Loki.” Natasha said. “We need a plan.” 

The rest of The Avengers nodded in agreement. Steve pursed his lips and spoke. 

“We will all go. We will get her back together.” Anger flared from Steve’s eyes and for the first time, he and Loki were on the same page.


End file.
